February 23, 2021
By: Aruna Kamara (Bo)
One of the mentors at Nemgbema in Niawalenga Chiefdom, Bo District, Sadiatu Koroma has said that Women Against Violence and Exploitation in Society (WAVES) in Sierra Leone has tremendously changed the lives of the girls in their chiefdom for the better in order to speak up against harmful practices including Female Genital Mutilation that will not help them achieve their education.
She made this statement during an experience sharing with the girls in their safe spaces at the Commemoration of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, which is an activity under a project titled ‘Ending Female Genital Mutilation /Cutting of Adolescent Girls in Bo District through Capacity Building Community Dialogue and Adolescent Girl’s Empowerment’. The theme is ‘No Time for Global Inaction: Unite, Fund and Act to End FGM’. It took place at the Negbema Court Barray on Friday, 16 February 2021.
Ms. Sadiatu said “the children in their communities have not been doing well in school. Some get pregnant and drop out of school but the intervention of WAVES with the training of mentors to be in communities to guide the girls has been of great help to the parents. The mentors give advice to the girls to treat their education with seriousness and speak up against harmful practices including FGM that is not making them to achieve their education.”
“The girls are very vulnerable in the community but WAVES has empowered them to report any attempt of sexual harassment and sexual penetration,” WAVES mentor said.
Another mentor at Sahn Village in Niawalenga Chiefdom, Mary Bindi said that the children at Sahn village have benefitted hugely from WAVES project as they have been empowered to say no the touching of their private parts.
Mary Monrovia, a pupil of the Sierra Leone Church Primary School while giving an inspiring statement on what she described as good and bad touch, said that “we are determined to say no to sex as we will not allow men to touch our private parts.”
Martha Robin from the Seventh Day Adventist Primary School at Negbema commended WAVES for training the mentors to guide them in the pursuit of their education so that they will not be drop-outs and this has made them to be so focused on education.
According to her, ‘’the mentors are everyday talking to us to stay away from sex in order not to be victims of teenage pregnancy that will distract us from the path of education.’’
Esther Kargbo, a member of the Community Based Action Team (COMBAT) thanked WAVES for supporting the girls and women in the Chiefdom, noting that WAVES intervention has promoted the right of the women and girls. “This organization has enhanced our livelihood to support our children to achieve our education. We will make sure that our children do not go into FGM initiation but allow them to be educated so that there will be more educated people in our chiefdom,” she noted.
A religious leader, pastor Samuel Yorkie said that the chiefdom do not have educated people and that they are happy to see WAVES coming into their communities to talk to their children to be educated in order to contribute to the development of the chiefdom.
The Director of WAVES, Hannah Yambasu while speaking to the girls through a video statement said that “We are in the chiefdom to change the lives of the people, particularly the women and girls who are vulnerable in the society. We want to make sure that the children are educated to contribute to the development of the chiefdom and the country as a whole.”
She encouraged the parents to support their children in order to be educated, and added that “we will continue to work in the chiefdom with the approval of the paramount chief and other stakeholders in the chiefdom. However, the stakeholders including the chief have been so supportive to our work.”
The Project Officer of Women Against Violence and Exploitation in Society, Lura Miatta Lahai said that ‘’ We have been working in the Niawalenga Chiefdom since ten years ago and our work has been a light in the community that has taken the people from darkness. We have been supporting the girls and children to speak up against abuses and violations of their human rights.
She went on to say that ‘’ It is good for the children not to go through traditional harmful practices including FGM, which is a violation of their rights”. Madam Lahai informed that WAVES was in the community to commemorate the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM with support from Action Medeor, which is commemorated on 6th February every year. It is not good to subject yourself and your children to harmful practices like FGM, Allow your children to learn and let them have the choice of going through it instead of subject them to it. We are not against Bondo, but taking the children below the age of 18 will disturb their education”.
Nurse Mary Morgan who represented the Bo District Medical Officer, encouraged parents not to allow their children to go through Female Genital Mutilation as it has no health benefit, noting that the problems associated with it include, interferes with the human growth, complications in delivery, pain, bleeding and infections.
The Programme Manger of WAVES –Sierra Leone Momoh Lukuley said that their organization is not a health organization but they are promoting human rights issues that are related to health and that was the reason , Action Medeor is supporting them.
The Communications Officer of WAVES- Sierra Leone Alusine Rogers called on all to help promote and protect the girls to maximize their potentials and contribute to nation building.
